Some questions about NZ driving regulations

**mujambee** · 25th February 2009, 18:33

Originally Posted by Disco Dan

You will have to excuse the rest, they seem to have skipped their meds today.

I bet we bikers get much more than our alotted head concussions

Anyhow, I think I get the picture. Thanks.

**mujambee** · 25th February 2009, 18:38

Originally Posted by James Deuce

1. You guys use Arabic numerals. You'll figure it out from the road signs.

Spent the whole day looking out the window but still couldn´t spot any of your road signs from here.

Originally Posted by Ixion

1. Blanket upper limit is 100kph (ie you can't legally go faster than that anywhere). Lower limits are signposted. Urban areas (ie places with houses) are generally 50kph, but can be lower or higher. Signposts tell you. Speed limits are not usually related to the type of road (ie there is not a "motorway speed limit" as such)

I understand there is no minimum speed limit over there. Right? (i.e.: Here you have to ride/drive at least at half the maximum speed limit on non urban areas)

Originally Posted by YellowDog

Compared with Europe, the drink drive limit is unusually high in NZ. I don't drink and drive however the one time I did (not out of choice), I got stopped and breathalised. I was in a car. I'd had 4 bottles of 5% beer and 2 glasses of red wine. I felt quite tipsy so I was driving slowly. I got stopped for "suspiciouly slow driving" (50kph in a 50kph zone). I passed the test with a green light, no problem. I won't be taking such a risk again.

You'd probably ended in jail here.

**Winston001** · 25th February 2009, 19:10

Originally Posted by mujambee

I understand there is no minimum speed limit over there. Right? (i.e.: Here you have to ride/drive at least at half the maximum speed limit on non urban areas)

Noooo.......but you can be charged for going too slow if you are obstructing traffic. Pretty rare charge but it can happen.

**Patrick** · 26th February 2009, 10:48

Originally Posted by Ixion

.......4. Driving with excessive alcohol in the blood (ie drunk) is a serious offence. Note that the limits are MUCH lower for under 25s. .....

Accurate post Ixion...

The age limit for the lower levels is actually 20, not 25.

Repeat offenders can, and will, have their car impounded and the courts can order their forfeiture, so it can be an extremely expensive game.

**Ixion** · 26th February 2009, 11:20

Ah, my bad. I get really confused about when youffs is youffs and not youffs. Everything seems to have a different age.

OP corrected.

**Patrick** · 27th February 2009, 10:34

Originally Posted by Ixion

Ah, my bad. I get really confused about when youffs is youffs and not youffs. Everything seems to have a different age.

OP corrected.

Fink of youffs as teens.... age 19 and 364 days or less = youff...

20th birfday, no youff......

**James Deuce** · 27th February 2009, 11:07

Originally Posted by Patrick

Accurate post Ixion...

The age limit for the lower levels is actually 20, not 25.

Repeat offenders can, and will, have their car impounded and the courts can order their forfeiture, so it can be an extremely expensive game.

They'll just "borrow" someone else's and kill people with that instead.

**Patrick** · 27th February 2009, 11:24

Originally Posted by James Deuce

They'll just "borrow" someone else's and kill people with that instead.

True... should shoot them in the face when stopped then.

**Swoop** · 27th February 2009, 11:32

Originally Posted by YellowDog

I got stopped for "suspiciouly slow driving" (50kph in a 50kph zone).

Something like that should be framed and hung on the wall.

"Keeping to the posted speed limit" is suspicious...

**Ixion** · 27th February 2009, 12:08

Originally Posted by Patrick

Fink of youffs as teens.... age 19 and 364 days or less = youff...

20th birfday, no youff......

Ah, but that's only for this particular law. For other things it's different. Voting is one age. Buying booze is another. Insurance is another . Drivers licence, how long you have to stay on each stage, is another (I think that's where I got the 25 from).

Was much simpler when it was 21 for everything.

**Patrick** · 27th February 2009, 12:15

Originally Posted by Ixion

Ah, but that's only for this particular law. For other things it's different. Voting is one age. Buying booze is another. Insurance is another . Drivers licence, how long you have to stay on each stage, is another (I think that's where I got the 25 from).

Was much simpler when it was 21 for everything.

Voting and booze buying is the same, ya know.....

Insurance = dunno.

Licence = 15. 6 months on learners, 18 months on restricted (shortened to 9 if ya do the defensive driving course).

Used to be if over 25, you could go straight from learner to full.... but that is long gone, as the licencing places saw they were missing out on easy cash, cutting out that restricted part.....

**James Deuce** · 27th February 2009, 14:42

Originally Posted by Patrick

True... should shoot them in the face when stopped then.

I will pay for your ammunition with money that should be used to feed my children.

**MarkH** · 27th February 2009, 16:26

Originally Posted by Patrick

Licence = 15. 6 months on learners, 18 months on restricted (shortened to 9 if ya do the defensive driving course).

Used to be if over 25, you could go straight from learner to full.... but that is long gone,

Actually it used to be over 15 you could go straight from no license to full. I had a full car license at exactly 15 years & 1 Month old. But that was over a couple of decades ago.